1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stator for an electric rotary machine which is installed in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a stator for an electric rotary machine which is fabricated using segment coils, there have been known stators for electric rotary machines in which coils are formed by inserting plural segments which are made up of electric conductors which are formed into a U-shape in slots in a stator core, thereafter bending leg portions and joining together end portions of the segments (refer to JP-A-2003-158840 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,894,417).
In stators for electric rotary machines described in JP-A-2003-158840 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,894,417, coils are formed through a forming operation of forming electric conductors into a U-shape, a bending operation of bending leg portions and a joining (welding) operation of joining together end portions of the electric conductors. Because of this, the end portions of the electric conductors are joined together in such a state that the end portions project in the axial direction, and therefore, the size of the stator is increased in the axial direction due to extending portions, and the length of the extending portions is increased. Thus, there still exists room for improvement.